1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to boat hull designs and more particularly pertains to a new boat hull system for reducing the friction between the hull of a boat and water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of boat hull designs is known in the prior art. More specifically, boat hull designs heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,568; U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,802; U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,349; U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,173; U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,517; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,703.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new boat hull system. The inventive device includes a boat with a front and a rear. The boat has a hull with a forward portion towards the front that includes a width tapering smaller toward the front. Towards the rear of the boat there is a rearward portion of the hull that includes a substantially uniform width between the forward portion and the rear. Towards the front of the boat, the hull includes a lower surface with a keel ridge. The forward portion is substantially smooth between the keel ridge and a lateral side of the lower surface. The lower surface of the rearward portion includes a plurality of strake ridges extending substantially parallel to the keel ridge, and includes at least two strake ridges on each lateral side of the keel ridge. The adjacent strake ridges define a channel therebetween.
An air duct extends from the lower surface of the forward portion to the lower surface of the rearward portion for moving air between the forward and rearward portions. The air duct includes an entry opening in the lower surface of the forward portion and an exit opening in the lower surface of the rearward portion.
In these respects, the boat hull system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of reducing the friction between boats and water.